04 June 2013

The Louisiana House of Representatives has given its final approval to a bill that would block unmarried and gay couples from becoming surrogate parents, reports The Times-Picayune. The final vote was 87-9. The bill now moves to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal for signature.

The bill would set up surrogacy contract rules in the state as well as define who is eligible to enter into such contracts. The final version of Senate Bill 162 defines "intended parents" as "married persons," thus barring unmarried partners and same-sex couples from becoming parents through surrogacy.

Louisiana law currently states any surrogate contract in the state is "unenforceable" and absolutely null and void, which proponents of the bill says has led to problems surrounding the legal rights of surrogate mothers, their spouses and the intended parents.

Opponents to the bill include the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Louisiana Family Forum, who contend that surrogacy is "anti-life" because the process involves the creation of embryos that are never implanted. On the other side of the political spectrum, Kathleen Sloan of the National Organization for Women, or NOW, and Jennifer Lahl from the Center for Bioethics and Culture also came out against the bill, saying it "turns women into exploitable commodities through financial inducement."

The conference committee also rejected an amendment that would have voided the bill if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Essentially, that would have meant that no one would have become eligible for surrogate parenting if same-sex couples were suddenly eligible. Equality Louisiana opposed the legislation but thanked the conference committee for rejecting "legislative gay-bashing [and an] unnecessary and mean-spirited amendment."

03 December 2012

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's private school voucher program was dealt a significant blow on Friday. Louisiana District Court Judge Tim Kelley ruled the state's "diversion of funds" set aside for public education is unconstitutional, reports the Times-Picayune.

"Today's ruling is wrong headed and a travesty for parents across Louisiana who want nothing more than for their children to have an equal opportunity at receiving a great education," [said Jindal] ... Louisiana Superintendent John White also issued a statement saying, "We strongly disagree with the ruling. We are optimistic this decision will be reversed on appeal."

The suit was brought by Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), Louisiana School Boards Association and 43 local school boards. LFT Public Relations Director Les Landon told NOLA.com he felt very emotional after the ruling. "This is a win for all of the children of Louisiana -- and for the taxpayers," he said Friday afternoon after the ruling.

[Last] week, a federal judge in New Orleans ruled that the program had the potential to disrupt the region's court-ordered efforts to desegregate public schools. The judge issued a temporary injunction halting the use of vouchers in Tangipahoa Parish over concern that the program was siphoning off state dollars needed to implement the desegregation plan.

While that ruling just applied to the one parish, at least 30 other school districts in Louisiana are under desegregation orders; opponents of the voucher program have said they will bring similar federal court cases in those districts.

The approximately 5,000 students currently receiving vouchers will be able to "continue attending their private schools pending appeal", according to officials.

Note that Jindal says the vouchers will allow students to "receive a great education." Once upon a time our state governments were supposed to ensure that public schools had the resources to provide a "great" education. Interesting.

27 August 2012

Tropical Storm Isaac has become stronger as it moves toward the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters expect it to be upgraded into a Category 2 hurricane before it makes landfall early Tuesday or Wednesday. The storm has battered Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The Republican National Convention was supposed to start today in Tampa but its scheduled has been revised, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

The convention will officially gavel in at 2 p.m. Monday but will be in session for no more than 10 minutes, said Russ Schriefer, the GOP strategist who has been the chief Romney campaign spokesman for convention logistics. ... The proceedings will resume on Tuesday at 2 p.m. with Republicans taking their roll call vote in early evening to formally nominate Mr. Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, to the Republican ticket.

"Among those who cancelled or put a hold on their appearances at the convention were the governors of four states likely to be most heavily affected by the storm: Rick Scott of host-state Florida; Louisiana’s Bobby Jindall, Mississippi’s Phil Bryant and Alabama’s Robert Bentley."

Those four Republican governors have alreadydeclared state of emergencies prior to Isaac's landfall. Will they ask for "handouts" from Washington?

30 April 2010

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency as a massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico begins to ooze ashore. The catastrophe threatens to "become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades."

The leaking pipeline from Deepwater Horizon explosion and sinking is
spewing more than 210,000 gallons a day:
"The leak from a blown-out well a mile underwater is five times bigger than first believed. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta late Thursday, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines. Thicker oil was about five miles offshore. Officials have said they would do everything to keep the Mississippi River open to traffic."

"The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening to eclipse even the Exxon Valdez in scope. It imperils hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life. 'It is of grave concern," David Kennedy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The AP. 'I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling."

Shrimp economy devastated ....

"Shrimpers in Louisiana and Alabama file class-action lawsuits against BP
and owners of the drilling platform. .... The [slick] menaced the environmentally sensitive coastline of four states. The blowout comes at a particularly bad time for the shrimp industry, coinciding with the very start of the season as shrimp stocks make their way from estuaries out to sea."

Air quality testing is ordered as a sickening "gag-inducing" smell heralds the spill's arrival: "New Orleans residents are understandably annoyed over
their city being enveloped by the smell of fuel. Mandie Landry, an
attorney who works in the city's Central Business District, told Yahoo!
News that 'it smells like it'd smell if a bus was in front of you
blowing out exhaust fumes right in your face.' Another local resident,
Tulane University employee Laura Mogg, told us that she caught wind of
the 'terrible' and 'gag-inducing' smell from her office building on the
school's sprawling uptown campus."

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said its request is related to Vitter’s recent request for a Justice Department investigation into ACORN, the community activist group with headquarters in New Orleans. Staffers in at least four ACORN offices around the country have been caught in a video sting giving advice to a couple pretending to be a prostitute and pimp looking for tax breaks and other assistance.

"Sen. Vitter’s zeal to see ACORN criminally investigated for offering advice in setting up a prostitution ring reminded me he has yet to be held accountable for his own role in a prostitution ring," said Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director. "While ACORN’s conduct is indefensible, so is Sen. Vitter’s and what is good for the goose is good for the gander."

· Will the New Hampshire same-sex marriage bill die in the state Senate? "New Hampshire's Senate Judiciary Committee holds a public hearing on
the bill on Wednesday ahead of a full senate vote expected this month
or early in May. Several senators in the Democrat-controlled legislature contacted by
Reuters speculated the bill would face defeat, citing Democratic
Governor John Lynch's opposition, or be tabled indefinitely so
lawmakers can avoid taking a stance on the issue ahead of elections
next year."

· Homophobia much?Esquire
apologizes for the June cover story "How To Be a Man" which
"recommended throwing around curse words to show your machismo. This
included the phrase 'sh*t-sniffing faggot', which Esquire advised you use when talking to your neighbor."

· California Court of Appeal rules transgender woman living out of state may change her California birth certificate.

· Hopefully he is better at writing books than giving speeches. The Daily Beast reports right-wing publishing house Regnery Publishing signs conservative, anti-gay Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to a book deal. "The book will be about his life and
policy ideas, but it won’t take up very much of his time—he’ll be
co-authoring it with Peter Schweizer, who has written books about Bush
family and President Reagan. There’s speculation that the book deal
reveals Jindal’s interest in a 2012 Presidential run."

The federal aid was part of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama the week before last. Jindal rationalized his decision by claiming "expanding unemployment benefits would result in tax increases for businesses." The bizarre decision was "explained" in a virtual press release.

The Governor said the state will not use a portion of the stimulus package that requires the state to change its law to expand unemployment insurance (UI) coverage to qualify for up to $32.8 million of the federal stimulus funding because it ultimately would result in a tax increase on Louisiana businesses.

On Meet the Press yesterday morning, Jindal blamed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the President, claiming the spending bill will not "work" for the "benefit" of the American people. Clearly the money targeting his state would have created "benefits" for at least 25,000 unemployed people, but, what are a few facts to right-wingers.

Jindal has been tapped to deliver the Republican Party response to President Barack Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress tomorrow. Democrats in Louisiana say Jindal's decision gives him conservative street cred as possible presidential contender in 2012. Jindal needs to choose "whether to represent the state of Louisiana or be the spokesman" for the national Republican Party, says Louisiana Lt. Gov., Mitch Landrieu(D).

House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio says Jindal embodies the GOP as the "party of better
solutions."

Among the governor's more recent "better solutions": Dropping an executive order
prohibiting employment discrimination against gay and lesbian state
employees that was enacted by his Democratic predecessor. Those are the same tired and divisive "solutions" we suffered for eight years and were recently rejected for change.

24 November 2008

The president-elect has yet to be inaugurated, but, it's never too early to start thinking about the next presidential campaign. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) traveled to Iowa over the weekend and increased speculation that he is considering a presidential bid in 2012.

Think Progress reports the highlight of Jindal’s weekend visit was delivering the "keynote address at a 'Celebrating the Family' banquet hosted by the Iowa Family Policy Center, a conservative Christian group that promotes issues important to social conservatives such as home-schooling and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage."

The conservative and anti-gay Louisiana governor expressed concern for the "coarsening" of our culture. "As governor, I can't censor anything or take away anyone's freedom of speech," Jindal said, adding, "There are things we can do as private citizens working together to strengthen our society."

Gay rights could soon take center stage in the Hawkeye State. The Iowa Supreme Court is expected to soon rule on a same sex marriage case that could bring marriage equality to the heartland. Oh and speaking of things to do to "strengthen society": In August the governor dropped an executive orderr prohibiting employment discrimination against gay and lesbian state employees that was put in place in by his Democratic predecessor.

When asked to choose among some of the GOP’s top names
for their choice for the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say
Palin. The next closest contenders are two former governors and
unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year —
Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of
Massachusetts with 11%.

Three other sitting governors–Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Charlie
Crist of Florida and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota–all pull low
single-digit support.

Some 69 percent of Republicans believed Palin was an asset to the losing ticket headed by John McCain. This despite exit polls that revealed 60 percent of voters said Palin was "not qualified to be president if necessary." Massive denial? Or firm conviction? Not sure which.